Deji, you leave out the continued building of hundreds of thousands of new Jewish only housing units in the West Bank and Jerusalem and The Wall. Don't you think that these facts on the ground have essentially put an end to the two state solution Especially since Netanyahu, albeit only in Hebrew said recently that he will never support a Palestinian State.
Israeli intransigence in duplicitous support of the status quo is it's own topic. Netanyahu saw what happened to Rabin, Sharon and Olmert. He wants to stay PM. Israel is so scandal crazy that he gets in trouble for using gov't funds to buy ice cream for his family. One can only imagine what would happen if he formed a pro-peace coalition in the Knesset and negotiated for real. I suspect he'd be kicked out of office and in handcuffs for some kind of rape or corruption charge within a month.
It's the Mediterranean. If you don't get caught cheating on your wife, people will whisper you're gay and weak and have no hair on your back, and no self-respecting PM wants that. It's cool as long as you don't go full boonga boonga .
And, as many say, his wife isn't (though she used to be). Bill Clinton actually got a bump in the polls when he had his sex scandal.
It was never offered. The Peel Commission was just a recommendation of partition. Also, the 20th Zionist Congress rejected the Peel Commission. Yes, it is. Anyone who states otherwise is spewing bull. It is considered occupied by the International Court of Justice, the UN General Assembly, the UN Security Council (and all permanent members), and also the Israeli Supreme Court: [/i]The Judea and Samaria areas are held by the State of Israel in belligerent occupation. The long arm of the state in the area is the military commander. He is not the sovereign in the territory held in belligerent occupation (see The Beit Sourik Case, at p. 832). His power is granted him by public international law regarding belligerent occupation. [/i]
This is a great analysis of the conflict: http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/gaming-israel-and-palestine#axzz38r5V2UJx
Thanks for posting. Lot's of info. A great speaker. I've watched 15 minutes so far and have been blown away.
Agreed Goliath, which I bought, is good and anyone wanting to know what Israel is like in this day and age should read it. Some say it may be the Grapes of Rath for the Palestinians. I gave it to a Jewish friend in Houston who is heartbroken at what Israel has become. His uncle was one of the founders of Israel, his sister lives there and so do some of his cousins, his uncle's kids. They try to do what they can to resist the Israeli killing machine.
[rquoter]You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Deji again.[/b[/rquoter] Thank you again for your informed posts. I agree Hamas are terrorists and are ill serving the Palestinian people but at the same time Israel hasn't done too much to help out Fatah. While Abbas has been trying to build up Palestinian infrastructure and economy that is pretty difficult when Palestinian territory, movement and water rights (something that is very important to the situation but almost never gets brought up) are restricted.
Since Olmert was canned, Bibi has walked a fine line of preserving the status quo, which, considering the broad range of angry voices around him, probably is the compromise he believes he is providing, however dangerous it is to for everyone's long term benefit. What people don't understand is those to the right of him (now most of his own party much less his coalition partners) call him a "leftist" for not letting them annex the West Bank outright. A lot of settlers think he oppresses their rights to "their" land. He's a lousy PM, but it could be far worse.
Very true but to repeat myself again this is another example of how both people are held hostage by extremists.
Not sure how much they are held hostage by extremists when those extremists are supported by a public with little faith in the alternatives. Political dissent falls on dead ears as well when war is on and people around you are dying or at least worried about it. I experienced that as well...you tend to like your neighbours a lot more and despise the Other much more easily when you share a life or death experience breaking up your day. People suddenly became a lot nicer to each other and much more bellicose in their grumblings about "the enemy" when those sirens wailed and I seriously doubt Palestinians feel any different. For an American to tell the average Israeli or Palestinian to "give peace a chance" would get a dirty look and a "Silly American, look around, this what it gave us. What did you do when you were attacked? Preach reason and calm? Elect moderates to negotiate peace? Nope, you re-elected Bush and spent a decade and a half at war." So...there's that.
This is a disgusting post. Innocent people are dying and you say this? I would gladly chip in $200 to Clutch just for the ability to neg rep you. I know that you and ATW flat out are against Islam. But at least he has integrity. Now I know why so many ignore you. Add 1 more to that list.
